Conversion bracket for gas engine carburetor

ABSTRACT

A carburetion system for a single cylinder, internal-combustion engine fueled with natural gas which includes a rigid support bracket secured to the engine body to hold the carburetion system in place. A downdraft carburetor having a side intake upstands from the engine intake port; a flexible intake line connects with the carburetor intake to extend horizontally therefrom to connect with a side outlet of an air cleaner. The bracket includes a wall member upstanding from the engine body to hold the air cleaner and intake line in position with respect to the carburetor.

United States Patent [19] Todd [ 1 Nov. 18, 1975 1 CONVERSION BRACKET FOR GAS ENGINE CARBURETOR [76] Inventor: William L. Todd, 100 Cottonwood I Lane, Gillette, Wyo. 82716 [22] Filed: Dec. 13, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 532,624

[52] US. Cl. 123/195 A; 55/D1G. 28

[51] Int. Cl. F02F 7/00 [58] Field of Search 55/D1G. 28, 385; 123/195 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,274,418 8/1918 Hunt SS/DlG. 28

1,619,029 3/1927 Morris v SS/DIG. 28

1,863,015 6/1932 Kamrath... SS/DIG. 28

2.153.069 4/1939 Barr 55/DIG. 28

2,214,731 9/1940 Kamrath SS/DIG. 28

2,705,540 4/1955 Zierer 55/DIG. 28

Primary ExaminerCharles J. Myhre Assistant ExaminerR. H. Lazarus Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Van Valkenburgh, Lowe &

Law

[5 7] ABSTRACT A carburetion system for a single cylinder, internalcombustion engine fueled with natural gas which includes a rigid support bracket secured to the engine body to hold the carburetion system in place. A downdraft carburetor having a side intake upstands from the engine intake port; a flexible intake line connects with the carburetor intake to extend horizontally therefrom to connect with a side outlet of an air cleaner. The bracket includes a wall member upstanding from the engine body to hold the air cleaner and intake line in position with respect to the carburetor.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 SheetlofZ 3,919,995

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet20f2 3,919,995

CONVERSION BRACKET FOR GAS ENGINE CARBURETOR The present invention relates to gas engines, and more particularly to the carburetion of a single cylinder, heavyweight gas engines of the type which are often used for pumping operations in oil fields and similar continuous, heavy-duty work. Ajax and Climax engines are two types commonly used for this purpose.

In oil well pumping operations, there is usually an excess of natural gas which, until recently, was allowed to escape or was flared. One common use for this natural gas was to power the large, comparatively slow gas engines which are commonly used in oil well pumping operations. Since the natural gas was easily available, the cost of driving these engines was nil. The ordinary mode of feeding such natural gas to a gas engine was simply to bring a gas line to the engine intake line, start the engine and adjust the flow from the gas line to the intake with a hand throttle to attain proper operation, a crude, cut-and-dry method which was fully adequate for the purpose, especially since efficiency of the operation was not important.

With the present fuel shortage, however, the value of fuel, and especially natural gas, has increased to the point where conservation and efficient use of the same is imperative. Thus, more than one oil field pumping operator is faced with the problem of changing the pumping system from the rather bulky, inefficient gas engines to electrical or diesel pumps and incurring a substantial investment expense. This hurts the field operation, especially if the oil production is not large. Thus, where an operator has gas pumps on hand, he will endeavor to make them work more efficiently if at all possible. The heavy, comparatively slow gas pumps have a very long life and have been used in the fields for many years. They are still being used extensively even though types are obsolete and are not being manufactured at present. To keep them in operation, various supply companies furnish parts and components for these machines, for types presently manufactured, and also for obsolete types, so that they may be properly maintained.

In most of these heavy, slow moving, single cylinder gas engines, the intake consists ofa rigid pipe ordinarily in the form of an elbow which turns from an intake port at the top of the engine to extend horizontally therefrom and to connect with an air cleaner. A gas line is connected to this intake pipe or to the intake of the engine at any suitable location to extend to a natural gas supply. A throttle valve, or a gas cock, in this gas line functions to control the flow of natural gas to the engine. Since the fuel, natural gas, is in a vaporous state, it has been considered unnecessary to use a carburetor, for mixing of the gas and air will occur in the intake. However, it has been demonstrated that with a proper carburetor, the fuel consumption of these engines in some cases can be reduced as much as 50 percent. Thus, with the impending fuel shortage, this savings in fuel can be the difference between continuing a pumping operation with the available gas engines for a small investment or scrapping the gas engines and investing a A gines. In the first place, the engines are much easier to start and the costs for maintaining starting equipment is reduced. Also, a carburetor provides a fail-safe situation should the engine accidentally stop. In the engines without a carburetor, natural gas will continue to flow into and from the engine as through the air cleaner. This can be very expensive especially if the engines are inspected every other day, or only once in awhile. This can be very dangerous, especially if the engine is in a closed building where a gas buildup could create an explosion. The carburetor is designed to stop the flow of gas the instant the engine stops.

Accordingly, many operators are desirous of installing carburetors in their gas engines and there does exist several types of gas carburetors which are ideally suited for this purpose. For example, lmpco Carburetion Inc. of Los Angeles, California, manufactures a line of downdraft carburetors, such as their Models 200, 210 and 425 which can be used with these engines.

These gas carburetors are designed primarily to be used with other types of industrial engines. No one contemplated that there would be a demand for mounting carburetors upon the heavy gas engines used in oil fields. Apparently the carburetor manufacturers felt that it was not worth the effort of adapting their carburetor to these engines.

Because of a lack of interest on the part of manufacturers as indicated above, various carburetors for gas engines such as those mentioned cannot be used although the operators may desire to do so, simply because no provision exists for effectively mounting the carburetors on the engines.

The present invention was conceived and developed with the foregoing and other considerations in view, and the invention comprises, in essence, a custom bracket for the attachment of a carburetor on a gas engin in such a manner as to advantageously locate the intake air cleaner at its original position over the engine and also, to minimize the subsequent problems of maintenance of the air cleaner and carburetor when the engine is in operation.

lt follows that an object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved conversion bracket for mounting a carburetor on a gas engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved bracket for mounting a carburetor on a gas engine which permits a changeover from the conventional air and natural gas intake lines to the carburetor set-up with a minimum of time and effort.

Yet'another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved conversion bracket for mounting a carburetor on a gas engine which may be furnished with the carburetor, air cleaner and a connecting tube all in place, and as a compact, sub-assembled unit requiring only the bolting of the same onto the engine.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a bracket for a carburetor at the intake of a gas engine which is a simple, economical, neat appearing and rugged unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my present invention comprises certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims, and illustrated, in preferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of a typical gas engine of the type which can be operated with a carburetor but uses the original, conven- 3 tional intake pipe.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a fragment of the engine shown at FIG. 1 showing the intake section thereof with a carburetor and the improved conversion bracket mounted upon this intake in accordance with the principles of the invention, the figure appearing as from the indicated arrow 2 at FIG. 1, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the organization shown at FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the bracket per se,

shown at FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a head of a gas en- 2 gine, of a different type than that shown at FIG. 1, to exemplify an alternate embodiment of the invention where a different typed of conversion bracket is affixed to the engine.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the gas engine E, illustrated at FIG. 1, is exemplary of large, single cylinder types used for heavy duty operations such as pumping. The engine includes a drive shaft at one end of a heavy cast iron body 11. The shaft extends as a stub from one side of the body 11 to connect with the apparatus being driven which is not shown. The shaft also connects with a flywheel 12 at the other side of the body. A cylinder head 13 is located at the end of the body, opposite the shaft 10. Pistons, valves and other conventional components, not shown, are within this engine. I

The engine also includes an intake port at the surface of a flat boss 14 on the top of the body and suitable passageways are provided within the body to direct an air gas mixture, received through this intake port, to the cylinder for combustion therein. A short air intake line 15 is connected to the air intake by a flange 16 secured to the boss 14 over the intake port by a ring of mounting bolts 17. This air intake line 15 is formed as a heavy pipe elbow extending upwardly from the intake port and turning horizontally to be connected to an air cleaner 18. This air cleaner connection is-by a flange 19 on the intake line which is secured to a boss 10 on the air cleaner by a ring of bolts 21.

The fuel for this engine E is natural gas which is brought to a mixer assembly within the boss 14 by a pipe 22 or this pipe may tap into the intake at any suitable location. This pipe 22 may approach the engine from any direction to be connected by an elbow 23 at the boss 14. This natural gas feed pipe 22 also includes a gas cock 24 to turn the engine off when it is not running and in some types of engines, to adjust the rate of gas flow into the engine when it is running. The operator of the engine, once the engine is started, may adjust the gas cock slightly to make the engine run at a selected speed. However, as heretofore indicated, the overall efficiency of the engine using natural gas flowing directly into the air intake line 15 is very poor.

The present invention contemplates the removal of the air intake line 15 and the replacement thereof by a bracket 30 and a downdraft carburetor 31 mounted upon the bracket over the intake 14 as shown at FIG. 2. The carburetor 31 is of a conventional type such as the lmpco carburetors heretofore mentioned and as such, it includes an upper air intake head 32, an intermediate mixing section 33 and a lower control section 34. This lower control section 34 is essentially a passageway which terminates as a transverse mounting flange 35 at its bottom. The carburetor, a conventional unit, in-

need not be described herein.

The mounting bracket 30 includes a vertical wall section spaced from the air intake 14 as will be hereinafter further described, and a flexible line 36 will extend from the air intake headv 32 of the carburetor to a suitable mounting flange on the bracket wall, hereinafter described, and to there connect with the air cleaner 18. The carburetor mounting arrangement also includes an elbow 23 at the mixing section 33 to connect with a natural gas pipe 22, as best illusr'ated at FIG. 3. To complete this arrangement, suitable standard linkages, not shown, will be connected to a control arm 37 at the control section 34 of the carburetor.

In the embodiment illustrated at FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the bracket 30 is formed as a rigid, L-shaped member having ahorizontally disposed shelf-section 40, a vertical wall section 41 and suitable corner gussets 42 to strengthen and rigidify the unit. The extended end of the shelf-section of this L-shaped bracket may be suitably rounded to provide a neat appearing unit and it will include an orifice 43 sized to correspond with the air intake port of the engine with a ring of bolt holes 44 about this orifice to register with corresponding bolt holes in the intake port boss 14 of the engine. Accordingly, the bracket 30 may be securely and rigidly bolted to the boss 14 of the air intake port as by mounting bolts 17. So attached to the intake port boss 14, with the orifice 43 being in registration with the intake port, this L-shaped bracket 30 will cantilever and extend from the intake port. It is contemplated that the length of the shelf section 40 will be such as to correspond with the horizontal reach of the air intake line 15 which it replaces. It is also contemplated that the ring of bolt holes 44 at the extended end of this shelfsection 40 will orient the bracket 30 so that it will lie in the same direction as the original direction of air intake line 15 which is replaced.

The wall section 41, upstanding from the end of the shelfsection 40, includes an orifice 45 near its top which is proportioned to correspond with the exit orifice of the air cleaner. The wall section 41 includes a circle of bolt holes 46 about this orifice 45 which will register with the bolt holes in the air cleaner boss 20 which receives mounting bolts 21 so that the air cleaner may be mounted upon this wall section 41 and secured thereto by the bolts 21. The height of this wall section 41, above the shelf-section 40, is such that the air intake line 36 may be connected to the carburetor head portion and to the orifice section 45 in a substantially horizontal alignment paralleling the shelf-section 40 of the bracket and suitable collars 47 are provided for each end of this line 36 for connection into the air cleaner and the carburetor.

This bracket 30, designed to cantilever from the air intake port 14, is necessarily made of comparatively strong, rigid material such as cast iron or cast aluminum if an allowance for the thickness of the aluminum is made to assure sufficient strength of the unit under running conditions. If the unit is made up 0s a sand casting or the like, the surfaces which rest against the intake port 14, the air cleaner boss 20 and which support the carburetor 31, may be spot faced or otherwise finished to provide for snug, secure fits. Suitable tap holes 48 are provided in the shelf-section 40 at diametrically opposite sides of the orifice 43 to match with corresponding holes in the mounting flange 35 of the carburetor so that carburetor mounting bolts 49 may he used to secure the carburetor to the shelf-section 40 of the bracket.

The flexible line 36 has essentially the same diameter as the discarded air intake line and may be of a rubber or plastic, hose-like material or it may be of a flexible metal pipe. The flexibility of this line not only simplifies the mounting of the carburetor upon the bracket, but also serves to eliminate possible strains and vibrations on the carburetor which can occur when the engine is in operation.

It is to be noted that the cantilevered bracket 30 extending from the intake port 14 and supporting the weight of the air cleaner 18, will also be subjected to various types of stresses, some of which may be induccd by vibration Accordingly, it may be desirable to support the extended portion of this cantilevered bracket. This may be done where a portion of the intake port boss 14 forms a lateral extension as in the manner indicated at FIG. 2. If such an extension is not available, a prop 26 may be used which extends from the underside of the bracket to anchor on the engine body 11 as indicated in broken lines at FIG. 2.

A simplified type of bracket 30' is illustrated at FIG. 5 and this bracket may be used for some types of gas engines. The bracket 30 is formed as a straight, flat plate, a wall plate 4|, to function essentially the same as the wall section 41 of the bracket 30. To do this, it is provided with an orifice and a ring of bolt holes near its top end corresponding with the orifice 45 and bolt holes 46 heretofore described. Thus, an air cleaner 18 may be bolted to the top of this plate-like wall section 41 as by mounting bolts 21.

In this modified arrangement, the straight bracket 30' is provided with suitable holes near its bottom end which will register with conventional mounting holes in the head 50 of the modified engine E and in this manner, the modified backet 30' is secured to the head 50 as by bolts 51. In this arrangement, the carburetor mounting flange 35 may be mounted directly upon the air intake port 14' of the engine E either in existing tapped holes in the body of the engine about the intake port or, if necessary, a pair of new holes may be drilled and tapped therein. Also, in some engines, standard cross adaptors may be used. This carburetor, upstanding from the head of the engine E, will be connected to a gas pipe 22 as illustrated, or in any other suitable manner. The height of the air intake portion of this carburetor is the same as the height of the air cleaner orifice at the top of the wall section 41' so that a flexible line 36' may be connected between the carburetor and the air cleaner exit as in the manner illustrated and heretofore described.

The operation of the engine with a mounting bracket, such as bracket 30 shown at FIGS. 2-4 or the bracket 30' shown at FIG. 5, does not impose any significant differences upon the engine other than the increased efficiency to be gained by use of the carburetor 31 or 31'. It is to be noted that the flexible line 36, or 36', completely separating the carburetor from the mounting bracket, provides for minimum vibration movements at the carburetor itself and a minimum chance of the carburetor components being placed under a strain because of a slight misfit of one or more of the components.

Few problems are encountered in mounting the bracket 30, or 30, upon an engine, and subsequently attaching the air cleaner 18 to the bracket, attaching the carburetor 31 to the bracket or at the air intake of the engine, mounting the flexible line 36 between the carburetor and the air cleaner and attaching the natural gas line to the carburetor. However, at times, it is expedient to provide for a preassembled unit consisting of the bracket 30, the carburetor 31, the flexible line 36 and the air cleaner l8 fitted togehter as a single conversion component. This sub-assembly can be quickly and easily mounted on the engine by simply bolting it in place over the intake port with the mounting bolts 17.

l have now described my invention in considerable detail. However. it is obvious that others skilled in the art can build and devise alternate and equivalent constructions which are nevertheless within the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence, I desire that my protection be limited, not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A natural gas engine including a downwardly directed intake path at a port surface at the top of the engine body and a carburetion system, which comprises, in combination therewith:

a. an upstanding downdraft carburetor having a side intake mounted over the engine intake port;

b. an air cleaner having a side outlet;

c. a horizontally disposed intake line connecting the air cleaner side outlet with the carburetor side intake, with the air cleaner outlet and carburetor intake being substantially at the same elevation; and

d. a rigid support bracket having a first portion secured to the engine body and second portion upstanding from the first portion, and reaching to and connecting with the air cleaner to support the same, and wherein said second portion is a flat, plate-like wall member having an orifice in registration with the air cleaner outlet, and proportioned to permit the intake line to extend thereinto for connection with the air cleaner outlet.

2. The organization defined in claim 1, wherein:

said intake line is a flexible line.

3. The organization defined in claim 2, wherein:

said first portion of the support bracket is formed as a flat, horizontally disposed shelf extending to and connecting with the intake port surface to overlie the intake port therein, and including:

a passageway orifice therethrough in registration with the intake port, and wherein said carburetor is mounted upon this shelf portion over the orifice.

4. The organization defined in claim 3, wherein:

a ring of tapped holes is provided in the intake port surface of the engine about the intake port, and a ring of holes is provided about the passageway orifice of the shelf in registration with the sockets, whereby to secure the bracket to the engine with bolts fitted therein, and wherein:

the carburetor is pre-fitted to the shelf, the air cleaner is fitted to the wall member, with the intake line in place to form a unitary member fittable to the engine. 

1. A natural gas engine including a downwardly directed intake path at a port surface at the top of the engine body and a carburetion system, which comprises, in combination therewith: a. an upstanding downdraft carburetor having a side intake mounted over the engine intake port; b. an air cleaner having a side outlet; c. a horizontally disposed intake line connecting the air cleaner side outlet with the carburetor side intake, with the air cleaner outlet and carburetor intake being substantially at the same elevation; and d. a rigid support bracket having a first portion secured to the engine body and second portion upstanding from the first portion, and reaching to and connecting with the air cleaner to support the same, and wherein said second portion is a flat, plate-like wall member having an orifice in registration with the air cleaner outlet, and proportioned to permit the intake line to extend thereinto for connection with the air cleaner outlet.
 2. The organization defined in claim 1, wherein: said intake line is a flexible line.
 3. The organization defined in claim 2, wherein: said first portion of the support bracket is formed as a flat, horizontally disposed shelf extending to and connecting with the intake port surface to overlie the intake port therein, and including: a passageway orifice therethrough in registration with the intake port, and wherein said carburetor is mounted upon this shelf portion over the orifice.
 4. The organization defined in claim 3, wherein: a ring of tapped holes is provided in the intake port surface of the engine about the intake port, and a ring of holes is provided about the passageway orifice of the shelf in registration with the sockets, whereby to secure the bracket to the engine with bolts fitted therein, and wherein: the carburetor is pre-fitted to the shelf, the air cleaner is fitted to the wall member, with the intake line in place to form a unitary member fittable to the engine. 